Growing up, how many times where you told there is a time and a place for everything? Seriously?
In Fairhaven, the time and place for some things will be the Middle School at 7:00 P.M. on December 5, 2012 (IMPORTANT NOTE: If you agree with me, you need to actually show up on December 4th!).
The meeting should be fairly quick. As an FYI, the Finance Committee last night voted to recommend adoption of the Voc-Tech article. The vote was 10 to 1, and yes I voted in favor of the article. It doesn't mean I am a happy camper. What it does mean is judging the project on its merits, it makes sense.
We all need to remember, and many times I find the need to remind myself, that we need to see the forest for the tress. When we fail to see the bigger picture of what is involved, we risk not only the destruction of a tree but the entire forest.
Viewing this project only as to the how and when presented, one is left with, shall we say, a bit of disappointment. That feeling is compounded by the fact one is also left with the impression that there is an attitude of "what's the big deal".
My big deal is that I believe we take the educational needs of the children in this Town very seriously. My big deal is I believe people should in fact be kept in the loop by proponents of a project, not through proxy; and, while every proposal eventually reaches the "here it is, take it or leave it" point, that point shouldn't be where discussion begins.
The time and the place for the discussion on this project should have been long before the MSBA approved the project. As unfortunately occurs with too many matters, what should have been isn't what is. Neither should that cloud one's judgment about what should be.
Moving on ...
It appears that the DOR report on the Town will be received sometime early next week. Despite there being a place saver on the warrant to enable the STM to address at least some of the anticipated recommendations, I seriously doubt that anything can be fashioned in time to deal with the issues in and informed manner.
I will add that this is through no fault of the petitioners, being the Board of Selectmen. This report was expected well over a month ago. Even if received in late September or early October, it is unlikely that the same could have been digested and vetted to the extent necessary to come to an informed consensus. The Selectmen rightly inserted an article in attempt to deal with what is clearly a pressing need.
I am guessing there will be recommendations that most will readily embrace, and others that will be resisted tooth and nail. Change can be a tantalizing, yet frustrating concept. Proponents will usually see the real need and be baffled by why others do not. Opponents will look at what is and be equally baffled about the rationale for it.
I look forward to the recommendations. I would hazard a guess I will not embrace of of them. I am willing to bet I, as will many of you, will find that some do not go far enough, while others go too far; and, the most interesting part about that is you will find people on those concepts.
There is no doubt in my mind that some changes need to be made. Unfortunately it doesn't appear that the STM will be the place at which it will occur.
Neither should it be a place for what if, maybe, could be, or just in case articles. It has been a long and hard battle to insure that budgets are formulated, expenditures looked at and analyzed and money is spent based on sound practices. It is an ongoing battle, one that I think is being won for the benefit of the Town as a whole.
There is nothing proactive or sound about putting a band-aid on a gash, or preforming triage on budgets before there is a need. The Town presently has a preventive care program for budget shortfalls. It is called the reserve fund. It is also called expecting departments to deal with unexpected matters in a reasonable fashion, and when it becomes clear you are unable to do so, then you seek more money. It is called utilizing all available revenue before you go to the taxpayer seeking new funds. True emergencies cannot wait on town meetings. True emergencies are dealt with now, not later.
It has nothing to do with having a crystal ball. It is called risk assessment and management. It is done every single year on every single matter that the Town collectively deals with. It is the ability to see the forest from the trees. It is about making hard decisions about hard facts.
As a note ...
I neglected to provide a link to the new Government Access Channel video on demand. This is a very positive development. It provides an expanded ability to stay informed. You are now able to view meetings "on demand". Hats off to Government Access and its director Meaghen Blasingame for making this service a reality. Before I forget, here is the link:
That's all for today. Be safe!
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